Supreme Court nominee confirmation hearings begin

Lawmakers grilled Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday, kicking off her confirmation hearing. Jackson pledged to decide cases “without fear or favor.” If the Senate confirms her nomination, Jackson would be the 116th Supreme Court justice, the first former public defender, and the first black woman to sit on the bench. She currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

How did the first day go? The opening session lasted roughly four hours and featured opening statements from Jackson and each of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 22 members. Republicans promised to ask tough questions this week, with a special focus on her record on criminal matters. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questioned her handling of cases involving sex offenders in the past, arguing that she had a pattern of giving lenient sentences. Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., countered that Jackson is “no judicial activist” and her law enforcement affiliations prove she is not soft on crime. The committee’s senior Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he will interrogate Jackson’s judicial philosophy but urged members not to turn the hearing into a “spectacle.”

Dig deeper: Read Maryrose Delahunty’s report in WORLD Magazine to learn more about Jackson and her judicial record.